| ship and
Christopher Columbus |
Christopher Columbus changed the history of the world
when he crossed the Atlantic Ocean in 1492 and discovered the islands
of the West Indies. He was trying to find a westward maritime route
to the Maria, was wrecked off Haiti, the most valuable ships in the
little fleet which made the first Atlantic crossing in 1492 were Pinta
and Nina, the two caravels. Both returned safety to Spain.
The caravel was a small, seaworthy type of ship which proved its worth
in Portugal's voyages of exploration down the west African coast from
about 1425. Normally lateen-rigged, the caravel could be converted
to square rig for making long ocean runs before the wind. Nina was
so converted by Columbus before the Atlantic crossing of 1492.
Caravels were particularly useful for venturing into shallow or dangerous
waters where bigger ships could not go. Their modest size meant that
on long voyages the company of a bigger ship was needed, to carry
enough supplies for the crew members. Santa Maria served this purpose
in 1492 until she was wrecked off the island of Hispaniola (now Haiti).
A real veteran, Nina made at least four successful Atlantic crossings
between 1492 and 1500.
By the late fifteenth century , navigating aids were still primitive,
but enough for long out-and-return voyages to be made. The magnetic
compass indicated the ship's heading; the astrolabe, adopted from
the Arabs, measured the ship's north-south position. |
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 In
his attempts to sail direct to China across the Atlantic Ocean, Columbus
believed that the earth was far smaller than its true size. The west
Indies and the American continent lie just where Columbus has expected
to find Japan and China. |
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| A broad-beamed
ship of the time, from an early printing of Columbus's letters. |
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| A
sailor of Columbus's day. Both Spain and Portugal provided tough seamen,
but Columbus had trouble finding enough volunteers for his daring
ocean voyages and had to take many convicts released from Spanish
prisons. |
Showing the
ship's direction or heading, the magnetic compass was the most accurate
navigation instrument of the 15th century. |
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| Named after
its owners, the Pinzon family, the 60-ton caravel Pinta sailed with
Columbus on his first crossing of the Atlantic in September 1492. |
Alower and
Clumsier than the two caravels, Santa Maria was a small Spanish trading
ship known as a nao. She was wrecked on December 24, 1492.
Columbus's flagship after the wreck of Santa Maria, Nina was originally
a caravela latina with fore-and-aft triangular lateen sails. This
is how she looked after Columbus had her re-rigged in the Canary Islands
as a square-sail caravela redonda. |
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